1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying surgical clips, especially hemostatic clips, to body tissue such as blood vessels. More particularly, this invention relates to a surgical clip applier which can be used in laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures, and a method for using same.
2. Background of the Related Art
In surgical operations it is often necessary to apply hemostatic clips to blood vessels, and apparatus for applying clips are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,650, and 4,624,254, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference, which disclose a surgical clip applying apparatus having a pair of ring-like handles. The handles are squeezed to force jaws to move distally relative to the apparatus where they are forced together by a pair of inclined surfaces. A surgical clip between the jaws is thereby squeezed closed.
In laparoscopic procedures surgery is performed in the interior of the abdomen through a small incision; in endoscopic procedures surgery is performed in any hollow viscus of the body through narrow endoscopic tubes inserted through small entrance wounds in the skin. Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures generally require that any instrumentation inserted into the body be sealed, i.e., provisions must be made to ensure that gases do not enter or exit the body through the laparoscopic or endoscopic incision as, for example, in surgical procedures in which the surgical region is insufflated. Moreover, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures often require the surgeon to act on organs, tissues, and vessels far removed from the incision, thereby requiring that any instruments to be used in such procedures be both long and narrow. Up to now there have been no instruments for placing surgical clips in laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures.
Because endoscopic procedures are more common than laparoscopic procedures, the present invention shall be discussed in terms of endoscopic procedures and apparatus. However, use herein of terms such as "endoscopic", "endoscopically" and "endoscopic portion", among others, refer generally to instruments having elongated and relatively narrow operating portions for inserting into a cannula or a small wound in the skin and should not be construed to limit the present invention to an apparatus for applying surgical clips only in conjunction with an endoscopic tube. To the contrary, it is believed that the present invention may find use in any procedure where access is limited to a small incision, including, but not limited to laparoscopic procedures.